Destinations

We set out to get under the skin of the 130 destinations that we visit, from Egypt to Jamaica and from Bolivia to Japan. Combining the must-sees with the who-knews, we provide authentic travel experiences across the globe.

Destinations

Africa

Discover the vast, diverse continent that is Africa. Navigate through aromatic medinas, drive across stretching golden plains in search of the Big Five and discover tribal cultures. We challenge you not to fall in love.

Asia

Asia offers a heady mix of diverse traditions, religions, cuisine and architecture. Iconic monuments from the Great Wall of China to the Taj Mahal, and scenery from Indonesian rice paddies to the staggering Himalaya, give a flavour of its variety.

Australasia

Australasia is a region of vibrant colour, staggering landscapes and contrasting cultures. Compact yet varied, New Zealand is all about the great outdoors. It's best explored on foot, where you'll cover lakes and mountains, coasts and glaciers.

Europe

From the windswept Atlantic coast to the vast taiga forests in the east, and from the polar tundra to the sun-kissed Mediterranean, Europe's variety is second to none. The diversity of its cuisine, culture and climate mirrors that of its landscape.

Middle East

The Middle East is a heady concoction of welcoming people, ancient sites, stunning desert scenery and delicious food. Uncover history that spans millenia in colossal archaeological sites and sleep under starlit skies in the Arabian desert.

North America

North America is home to dynamic cities, rich cultural diversity and inspiring National Parks. From the canyons and deserts of the USA to Canada's Rocky Mountains and Alaska's wildlife, North America's charms are hard to resist.

Central America

The thin strip of land connecting North and South America contains eight countries packed with fascinating Mayan history, colourful modern cultures and pristine beaches. Here the rainforests, cloud forests and barrier reef bustle with biodiversity.

Caribbean

Fields of sugar cane, rum distilleries, freshly-cooked fish and jerk chicken and a laid-back attitude to life - there's lots to love about Caribbean holidays. And that's without even mentioning the glittering azure waters and miles of sandy beaches.

South America

South America is a continent of superlatives. Explore the world's largest rainforest and marvel at its highest waterfall. Walk its longest mountain range and discover its highest capital city. All washed down with hearty food and world-class wines.

Experiences

Adventure doesn't have to take you out of your comfort zone; from activities like zip-wiring in Costa Rica, to tasting local dishes in Italy and staying with local families in Peru, there's a little adventure to be found on all our travels.

About Explore

At Explore, we're the experts in adventure travel. Our small group adventure holidays have been running since 1981. Today, Explore is one of the most trusted travel companies in the UK with over 600 trips to more than 130 countries.

Family Holiday FAQs

Our leaders are carefully selected and trained to manage the tour in a professional, organised and friendly way. They understand the needs of families and have an informal, approachable style which children like. Their infectious enthusiasm inspires the minds of the young explorers and brings the destination to life.

Do your Tour Leaders provide childcare?

Our leaders are trained to manage the logistics of the tour and make sure everything runs smoothly. Although they will interact with the children throughout the holiday they are not expected to provide childcare: parents are responsible for their children during the tour.

How much independence do the children have?

Although parents are expected to take responsibility for their children during the tour, what tends to happen especially as the children get to know each other is that they gather together as a group while the adults relax nearby. In practice this works really well for both children and adults.

How active are your holidays?

All the tours vary: some are quite relaxed and others are full-on. Each has a ‘Tour Pace’ ranking to make it easier for you to choose the right holiday for your family. Walking, cycling and multi-active tours are also graded according to their level of difficulty.

Can children (or adults) opt out of the activities?

Yes, you can opt out of any activity if you like. You can normally choose either to do your own thing independently or to come along and watch the others. If your child wants to opt out of an activity you will need to stay with them. If unsure please ask our adventure travel consultants beforehand or discuss with your Tour Leader on the tour itself.

Who goes on your family holidays?

Our groups are generally between 12 and 18 people, roughly half adults and half children. Travelling in a small, informal group makes it really easy for any family, large or small, to fit in and quickly make friends. Single parent families and families with only one child find the small group format works well. Extended families are welcome too and we often have grandparents, uncles and aunts joining the holiday. We very occasionally have groups that are smaller than six or seven people. On rare occasions you may be the only family on the trip.

What ages are your holidays best for?

All the tours are different: some are designed for young children and others for teens. We understand that all children are different, but to make it easier for you to find the right holiday for your family we recommend an ‘ideal age’ for each tour. The ‘ideal from’ age is quite flexible but in addition there’s a minimum age which is often applied for safety reasons. The average child age on our family tours is between 12 and 13.

What about Teen families?

We have tours designed specifically for families with teenagers – usually these are a bit more challenging, more active and more demanding. On some of our other family tours we also designate a handful of departures for Teen families only, as we know teenagers like to travel with others their own age.

What are the hotels like?

We use a wide range of accommodation on our family holidays, from simple homestays to very comfortable hotels. We prefer to stay at smaller, locally owned hotels where possible, and on many tours we use a variety of accommodation including guesthouses, wild camps, safari lodges, village houses, feluccas in Egypt, haciendas in Cuba and so on. Facilities vary but we choose accommodation that is clean and comfortable. You can use our Tour Comfort ratings to check how comfortable the accommodation is overall, or read the Tour Notes for more detailed information about each overnight stop.

How will you allocate hotel rooms?

If you’re a family of two, four or six we’ll arrange twin rooms for you. If you’re a family of three or five we’ll arrange twins and singles as necessary, or triples depending on your preference. Wherever possible we try to book families into adjoining rooms, or at least into rooms close to each other, but cannot always guarantee this. On some tours there may be a night or two in communal sleeping areas, for example in a desert camp or a village house.

Do the hotels have swimming pools?

We know children love to swim so nearly all the hotels we use have pools. There are also opportunities to swim in the sea, lakes and rivers along the way. See individual Tour Notes for details, where we’ve marked every day where swimming is available with a special symbol.

How safe are your holidays?

Safety standards on all of our tours are carefully checked on a regular basis. All accommodation, transport and activities are checked and our Tour Leaders are fully trained in safety management. While accidents can never be ruled out altogether we do our utmost to ensure the holidays are safe.

What will the food be like?

The food on our family holidays is often one of the highlights, for children and adults alike. We prefer local restaurants that serve authentic and freshly made food. The Tour Leaders know all the best places and can usually find one with menu options to suit everyone. If your children don’t like their food too spicy it’s almost always possible to arrange milder alternatives. Vegetarians are well catered for in most countries, especially in Asia.

What’s included and what extras should we expect?

Accommodation, transport and most activities are included, along with some meals. As flexibility is an important part of our holidays we leave some activities optional (for you to decide at the time whether or not to do them) and we often leave meals free so you can choose where and when to eat, and how much to spend. Please see individual Tour Notes to find out how much the optional activities and non-included meals will cost.

Are there any child discounts?

Yes, all of our tours have lower prices for children aged 11 or less. The main saving is on the international flight, which unfortunately reverts to the adult fare from age 12. Please see tour Dates and Prices pages for details.

Could the price increase after I’ve booked?

No, we offer a 100% price guarantee which ensures that once your booking is confirmed the price won’t change, regardless of fuel surcharges, foreign exchange rate changes, increases in government taxes or for any other reason.

When should I book?

Our tours go ‘on sale’ eleven months before they operate (as this is the point when airlines confirm their schedules and their fares) and you can book any time after that. Most families book at least four to six months beforehand, to ensure they get the tour and date of their choice. Easter, Christmas and half-term weeks are often in demand, as sometimes it’s only possible to run one departure over these periods. If you’re booking late we suggest you use the search tool on our website or check the Dates and Prices pages to see which tours are still available. Note that some tours become more expensive the later you book, as flight prices increase.

Can I find out who else is booked?

Yes, you can call anytime to ask about the other families booked on a tour. We can tell you the approximate ages and the gender of the other children booked. In our experience it’s surprising how little the age and gender differences matter when a family group travels together, but it is comforting for children to know there are others their own age in the group, especially before the tour starts.

What kind of family holidays do you offer?

We have four kinds of family holiday:

Small group tours, usually with 12 to 18 children and adults travelling together through a destination
Centre-based holidays, where we base ourselves in one place and enjoy all the activities in the surrounding area
Private group holidays, where you can team up with friends or make an extended family group
Tailor-made family holidays, customised to the destination, dates, accommodation, activities and budget you choose